This application incorporates by reference of Taiwan application Serial No. 90123658, filed Sep. 25, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an inkjet apparatus and a method of preventing misplacing an inkjet cartridge therein, and more particularly to the method of preventing misplacing the inkjet cartridge by using a sensor to detect the color of an identifiable area of inkjet cartridge disposed in the carriage.
2. Description of the Related Art
The inkjet apparatus, such as copy machine, facsimile machine and inkjet printer, has become a necessity in the modern life. Recently, a multi-function printer (MFP) that combines the multiple functions (like copy machine, facsimile machine and inkjet printer) has been designed to meet the demands of the consumers all at once. It is very easy and time saving for the users to connect the inkjet printer to the computer and print out the documents/pictures/photos. The inkjet printer mainly includes a housing and a printing module situated inside the housing to perform the printing steps. The details of the printing module are described as follows.
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a conventional printing module in the inkjet apparatus. The printing module 100 includes a carriage 102, a rod 104, a print platform 106 and the sidewalls 108a and 108b. The sidewalls 108a and 108b are set oppositely, and two ends of the rod 104 are respectively connected to the sidewalls 108a and 108b. The carriage 102, removably arranged on the rod 104, can move forward or backward over the print platform 106 along the direction of arrow 105, to accomplish the printing operation. The carriage 102 comprises the printed circuit boards (PCBs) 110a and 110b, the cartridge-setting slots 112a and 112b for placing the inkjet cartridges 114a and 114b therein. Also, there are flexible PCBs 116a and 116b attached at the surfaces 115a and 115b of the inkjet cartridges 114a and 114b, respectively. When the inkjet cartridges 114a and 114b are respectively put into the cartridge-setting slots 112a and 112b, the flexible PCBs 116a and 116b could electrically couple to the PCBs 110a and 110b at the carriage 102; therefore, the current conducted into the flexible PCBs 116a and 116b through the PCBs 110a and 110b and the printer could control the movement of the carriage 102 and drive the inkjet cartridges 114a and 114b to eject ink.
Generally, two inkjet cartridges are adapted in a printing module 100. One is a single-color cartridge 114b, usually filled with black ink. The other is a color cartridge 114a, having separated ink reservoirs and filled with different color inks such as cyan, magenta, and yellow ink. In the commercial inkjet printer market, there are other colors of ink to be used, such as light black, light cyan, light magenta, and light yellow.
However, the similar external appearances of the conventional homochromatic cartridge and the color cartridge confuse the user all the time. Consequently, the misplacement of cartridges in the carriage 102 occurs and it has effect on the printing result. In order to put the homochromatic cartridge 114b and the color cartridge 114a into the correct positions at the carriage 102, which means that the flexible PCBs 116a and 116b are electrically coupled to the PCBs 110a and 110b, some manufacturers try to make a difference between both cartridges; for example, a difference in size. As shown in FIG. 1, the size of the cartridge 114a is larger than that of the cartridge 114b; correspondingly, the space of cartridge setting slot 112a is larger than that of the cartridge setting slot 112b. The inkjet cartridge can only be installed in the size-matched cartridge setting slot. Accordingly, the misplacement of cartridge can be prevented.
Also, some manufacturers make an improvement in the configuration of the cartridge, so that the user can visually distinguish the cartridge model and its matched cartridge setting slot. However, the cartridges are usually produced into a whole. Change the configuration of the cartridge will raise the production cost.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an inkjet apparatus and a method of preventing misplacing inkjet cartridge therein. At least a sensor is used to detect the color of the identifiable area at the inkjet cartridge and then send a signal to a control unit. It is very convenient that the control unit can determine whether the inkjet cartridge is misplaced and alerts the user to the misplaced condition.
It is an object of the invention to provide an inkjet apparatus, having a carrier equipped with at least one inkjet cartridge. The inkjet cartridge has an identifiable area, and the color of the identifiable area is associated with the colors of ink stored in the inkjet cartridge. The inkjet apparatus comprises a control unit and a sensor. The sensor detects the color of the identifiable area and sends a signal to the control unit. The control unit receives the signal and determines whether the inkjet cartridge is correctly placed.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of preventing misplacing inkjet cartridge. The method is adapted to an inkjet apparatus. The inkjet apparatus has a carriage, a sensor and a control unit. The carriage is equipped with an inkjet cartridge, and the inkjet cartridge has an identifiable area, which the color of the identifiable area is associated with the color of ink stored in the inkjet cartridge. The method comprises the steps of: (1) detecting the color of the identifiable area and sending a signal by the sensor; and (2) receiving the signal and telling whether the inkjet cartridge is placed in the right position by the control unit. If the inkjet cartridge is misplaced, a warning signal is send to alert the user.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an inkjet apparatus having a carriage equipped with a first printed circuit board (PCB) and a second PCB. When a first inkjet cartridge and a second inkjet cartridge are placed in the carriage, a first flexible PCB of the first inkjet cartridge and a second flexible PCB of the second inkjet cartridge are electrically coupled to the first PCB and the second PCB of the carriage, respectively. The first flexible PCB and the second flexible PCB respectively have a first identifiable area and a second identifiable area, wherein the colors of the first identifiable area and the second identifiable area are associated with the colors of ink stored in the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge. The inkjet apparatus comprises a first sensor, a second sensor and a control unit. The first sensor is positioned at the carriage for detecting the color of the first identifiable area and sending a first signal. The second sensor is positioned at the carriage for detecting the color of the second identifiable area and sending a second signal. The control unit receives the first signal and the second signal and determines whether the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge are correctly placed in the right positions.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of preventing misplacing inkjet cartridge, and the method is adapted to an inkjet apparatus. The inkjet apparatus has a carriage, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a control unit. The carriage is equipped with a first PCB and a second PCB. When a first inkjet cartridge and a second inkjet cartridge are placed in the carriage, a first flexible PCB of the first inkjet cartridge and a second flexible PCB of the second inkjet cartridge are electrically coupled to the first PCB and the second PCB of the carriage, respectively. The first flexible PCB and the second flexible PCB respectively have a first identifiable area and a second identifiable area, wherein the colors of the first identifiable area and the second identifiable area are associated with the colors of ink filled in the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge. The method comprises the steps of: (1) detecting the colors of the first identifiable area and the second identifiable area, and sending a first signal and a second signal by the first sensor and the second sensor, respectively; and (2) receiving the first signal and the second signal, and determining whether the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge are correctly placed in the right positions by the control unit. If the inkjet cartridges are misplaced, a warning signal is send to alert the user.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiment. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.